18th Floor
by CanOfLoki
Summary: FrostIron AU One Shot - Inspired by and loosely based on 18th Floor Balcony by Blue October. Tony Stark doesn't fall for people. But there's something about Loki that has him captivated, and suddenly he's throwing caution to the wind. Out on his balcony, will he find the courage to speak up? Rated M for slash! Complete


FrostIron Tony/Loki AU

Rated M for slash!

I don't own the characters

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This is a one shot I wrote based loosely on the song 18th Floor Balcony by Blue October. I love that song and it gives me so many FrostIron feels. I wanted a nice romantic, mostly fluff-filled story to go along with it. If you haven't heard the song, I suggest you look it up on YouTube. It's a beautiful song! This story stands on it's own, but will be more meaningful if you know the song first. I hope you like it!

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**- 18th Floor - **

Tony's breath caught a bit in his throat as he opened the door. The image of the other man standing in his hallway was striking. Tall, slim, dressed casually but stylishly in a dark green fitted t-shirt, and black jeans, black hair falling loosely around his shoulders, greenish-blue eyes twinkling above an amused smirk. Amused? Why would he be amused - oh, yeah because Tony was standing there gawping like a dolt.

"Uh, sorry, come in, won't you?" Tony remembered his manners and was able to stop staring long enough to step aside and wave Loki in.

"Why, thank you Anthony. I was wondering if you were just going to let me stand there all night while you ogled me." Loki spoke in his usual cool tone, toeing off his shoes in the entryway and continuing in on bare feet. No matter how much Tony insisted he call him "Tony," he never did.

Tony laughed easily as he shut the door and followed Loki into his living room. The space was large, tastefully decorated in a modern style with rich colors and expensive furniture. Very befitting the billionaire owner of an extremely successful science and technology company. Though Tony owned the entire building, he preferred to keep his residence, not in the expected penthouse suite, but on the 18th floor. The placement of his apartment was unassuming, but not because Tony didn't enjoy showing off. In fact, showing off was one of his biggest hobbies and Tony spared no expense when it came to decking out this floor. Nearly everything was automated, and his own personal AI system, JARVIS, made sure everything ran smoothly. Tony Stark wanted the best of the best in everything, and he almost always got it. Which is why this gorgeous man was now standing there in his living room.

Tony closed his eyes and smiled, just enjoying how right it felt having Loki there with him. Was this night really happening? Was he ready?

Loki Laufeyson was definitely the best of the best. Tony knew that the minute he set eyes on him at that charity gala Pepper had coerced him to attend three months ago. Standing at the bar, the only spot inside that ballroom that was worth his time, Tony had been sipping his scotch and people-watching. When he spied the tall stranger with the shoulder length raven hair, wearing a tailcoat and a green scarf, Tony had stopped and taken notice. The man had an aura about him that just screamed confidence and sensuality. No stranger to lust at first sight, but not used to having it happen with another man, Tony downed his drink and went to approach the mysterious stranger.

They had hit it off fairly well. Loki was able to match wits with Tony easily, and they fell into an easy banter. Tony played cool, but found himself secretly wanting to know this man more than anything he'd ever wanted before. Luckily Loki seemed to have felt the same attraction because he readily agreed to dinner with Tony the next weekend.

Since that night, they had spent quite a bit of time in each other's company. He'd learned that Loki was a bartender at a local brewery restaurant. A pretty fancy one, though not one Tony had ever been to. It was definitely a step down from Tony's career and income level, though neither man minded that fact. They shared the same intelligence and work ethic, so who cared that Tony came from a more privileged background than Loki had? His apartment was smaller than Tony's, obviously, but still a nice place. In fact, Tony felt more comfortable hanging out with Loki there than his own place. Was it because almost every other person that Tony brought to his place was brought there to end up in his bed, or couch, or floor? Tony refused to admit that to himself. It was just because he wasn't used to having a friend. And that is exactly what he and Loki were, right? Just friends.

Except Tony soon started to realize that they weren't just friends. No friend he'd ever had before made his heart speed up just to see their name on his caller ID. He'd never caught himself staring at any of his friends, just because their hair fell over their eyes just so. And he certainly never had to squeeze his fingernails into his palm to stop himself from reaching out to brush that hair back. Like his hands, though, Tony kept those thoughts to himself. Neither of them seemed particularly enthusiastic to talk about big stuff: sordid pasts, family secrets, closeted skeletons. Especially not what was happening between them. Tony sure wasn't going to initiate that conversation. He didn't want to talk about feelings, because he was never any good at it. At the time, he hadn't even known what he was feeling. He couldn't explain it to himself, why would he want to discuss it out loud?

It wasn't a problem for Tony, admitting that he fancied another man. He'd had experiences with men before. No, it was the depth of his attraction to Loki that had him all befuddled. It was an unfamiliar thing for him, the fact that he was feeling anything at all toward the man. Tony Stark did not do feelings. He had tried before with Pepper, his assistant, but it hadn't worked out. Thank goodness their break up had been amicable, because he still relied on the woman way more than he should, both professionally and as a friend. But he had learned his lesson then, about where trying to have feelings got him. And that was nowhere.

Tony had been perfectly happy taking things slow with Loki. Sure, they hung out almost every day, and sure that was unusual for Tony. But he had more fun with Loki than he'd ever had with any of his other buddies. And Tony wasn't sure why, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to so much as glance at the myriad of pretty girls that threw themselves at the great Tony Stark when he ventured out to visit Loki at work. He suddenly found himself significantly disinterested in them, and he was not quite ready to admit to himself that it was because none of those girls could hold a candle to Loki. Loki wasn't seeing anyone else either, of this Tony was sure.

Anyone on the outside would have thought they were dating, but Tony was not ready for the discussing the "R" word with him just yet. Relationship. That term gave Tony the heebie jeebies. But isn't that what he wanted with Loki? If he was honest with himself, then he'd have to answer yes. There were times when he thought the other man was feeling the same thing. He'd caught Loki watching him sometimes, and he could swear he saw a look of longing in those blue eyes. The same one his own brown eyes had when he looked at Loki. But Loki seemed to be able to play it off much better than Tony could, and it made him wonder if he was imagining it all.

Realizing that he had just gotten lost in his thoughts, and was again standing there like an idiot, Tony shook himself out of it. He looked to Loki and asked. "Would you like a drink?"

"Sure, Anthony. Whatever you're having." came the reply. Tony smiled and headed over to the small, but fully stocked bar next to his kitchen. He knew Loki would make himself at home while he made the drinks. As he pulled out the scotch and some glasses, he couldn't help but to return to his thoughts. That morning, he'd awoken too early. The dream he'd been having faded away quickly, despite his frustrated attempts to cling to it. It had been about Loki, of course; his dreams usually were anymore. After spending years hating sleep, resenting how it had taken him away from the work he loved so much, Tony finally found a reason to enjoy it. He enjoyed keeping Loki in his dreams, and he craved sleep now. It was the only place he was free to act on his desires for him, and his mind never let him down. In fact, he frequently found himself with a problem in the morning that required a lot more sheet washing than he'd done since he was a hormonal teenager.

Unable to return to the dream, Tony had been just laying there in his bed, stroking himself lazily as he replayed the dream over and over in his head, when his phone buzzed on the nightstand. Knowing he'd never get back to sleep, he jumped at Loki's suggestion to meet him for an early morning walk through the park. I'll meet you at the usual spot, he texted back. Twenty minutes later, Tony met Loki at the duck pond. Tony found it endearing how much the other man enjoyed the activity. He'd chuckled as he walked up to see this dashingly handsome man standing there with a goofy grin on his face, completely surrounded by demanding ducks.

The joy and gratitude in Loki's eyes as Tony showed him the loaf of bread he'd brought with him, did something to Tony's heart. He'd suddenly realized that seeing Loki smile like that, more importantly being the reason for Loki smiling like that, was something that he'd never get tired of doing. He took a few slices of bread from Loki's hand and began to sprinkle pieces of it onto the ground and into the water of the pond. But he wasn't paying much attention to the ducks. He was thinking.

"What time is your shift today?" he asked.

"I start at noon and I'm off at seven. Why?" Loki replied, without glancing up from his adoring web-footed audience.

"Will you come over after? We could eat popcorn and watch old movies, or something." Tony was sweating a bit, trying not to reveal his real reasons for wanting Loki there that night.

"Sure, that sounds fun. I'll go home and change first, if that's okay? I should be there around eight. Want me to bring the movie?" Loki looked over and grinned.

Tony rolled his eyes, but laughed. He knew if he let Loki choose, it would end up being some cheesy 80's movie which he had a special kind of love for. "Sure, Loki. Your choice." It didn't matter, they probably wouldn't end up watching it anyway, because Tony had decided tonight was the night. He needed to confess his feelings. It scared the shit out of him because it was so unfamiliar, something he'd never even considered before, but he wanted a relationship with Loki.

Carrying the drinks over and setting them on the coffee table, Tony noticed Loki standing over by the windows. They were floor to ceiling in that part of the room, though Tony had instructed JARVIS earlier to dim the glass to give them privacy. Now Loki was squinting trying to see through them.

"JARVIS, clear the windows, will you?" Tony called out as he stepped over to Loki. He stood behind him and looked over his shoulder, close enough that his breath made a few strands of raven hair sway a bit. Loki's delighted gasp as the windows cleared up and let the city in, made Tony smile. When the other man reached back to grasp Tony's hand in his, Tony thought his heart just might burst. He had all these things he wanted to say to Loki, but he didn't trust himself to be able to say them right. Some genius I am, he thought to himself.

They stood like that for a while, just taking in all the twinkling lights outside, Tony reveling in the warmth of his hand in Loki's, and all the implications that were held with it. He opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly felt overwhelmed. Instead of a heartfelt confession, he blurted out, "We can go out to the balcony if you want? It shouldn't be too cold out there now."

Loki turned and grinned at him. "Yes, I'd like that." There was something in those deep blue eyes that spoke directly into Tony's heart. Was Loki feeling this thing between them in the same way Tony did? Tony turned and called out, "Balcony doors," initiating the automatic glass panels to slide apart. He reluctantly pulled his hand from Loki's and went to get the drinks, while the other walked outside. Standing at the doorway, he stopped when he saw Loki's tall form standing near the clear glass barrier at the edge of the balcony, hands on the rail and loose black hair being swept by the breeze. He was a sight to behold. Then, when he turned to Tony with a childlike grin on his face, Tony felt his breath hitch. He kicked himself for never bringing Loki out here before. They'd been to his place more than a few times, but he never thought to show him the balcony. The outdoor space was large, and open, as the floors above this one did not extend over it. He'd put some chaise lounges and tables out ages ago, for entertaining, though he never did anymore. It was something he usually took for granted, and rarely used.

Taking a deep breath, he walked over to the railing and handed Loki his glass. Feeling the need for liquid courage, Tony downed his in one big gulp. He looked over as Loki mimicked his action. The night was lit up enough by the moon and the city lights that Tony could see the beauty of Loki's slender neck as he swallowed the alcohol, and he very shamelessly stared at it.

Loki handed his empty glass back to Tony with a smug look. "Enjoy the show?" he said with a smirk. Tony usually would have replied with a witty retort, but other than admitting that he had very much enjoyed it, he couldn't think of a single thing to say. And he wasn't ready to admit to that just yet. So he just took both glasses and set them down on the patio table, then returned to Loki's side. They looked out at the city for a few minutes, watching the people and cars moving down below.

"Did you ever think you'd end up here?" Loki broke their silence.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"Well, this just all seems like such a different place than I thought I'd be. When I was growing up, my family, well we never lived like this. My parents were not rich, and we lived a simple life. They thought I was crazy when I told them I wanted to move here to New York."

This was the most Loki had ever shared about his family, and his past. Usually he changed the subject when it came up and Tony never pushed him. It's not like he was anxious to talk about his own.

"Was it just you then? Only child?" Tony asked because suddenly he didn't mind pushing Loki for answers. He wanted to know. He needed to.

"No, I have an older brother. Thor. We used to be close, but when I found out I was adopted..." Loki paused, and Tony had a thousand questions, but kept quiet this time, knowing Loki needed to continue on his own. "Well, we had a falling out, and I haven't spoken to him since. It's been about 4 years now." There was regret in his voice, it was plain to Tony's ears.

Tony placed his hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently for a few moments before dropping his arm back down. "I am sorry to hear about your brother. What about your parents? Do you still talk to them?"

"I talk to my mother on occasion," answered Loki. "Not my father. He disapproves of me. Of my job, of my choice to move here, of my lifestyle. He thinks because he "rescued" me as a baby, that it gives him the right to decide how I should live my life." He shot a bitter smile at Tony. "I bet your parents love you to death. With all this to show for yourself." Loki waved his hand back toward the apartment, but he meant so much more than that.

Then it was Tony's turn for bitterness. "If my old man were alive, he still wouldn't give a shit about all this. He never had any time for me. The only time he ever spoke to me was to tell me to get lost. He built this company, but he never thought I was good enough to run it."

Loki gave him a look of sympathy. "But you've done so much with it. Surely he'd be proud if he could see you now."

"Ah hell, I don't know." Tony shook his head. He didn't like talking about his father. It brought back a bunch of insecurities, which he definitely didn't need to be feeling tonight.

"What about your mother?" Loki prompted.

"Not much to say about her. She was everything a mom should be, except she died when I was ten. Left me alone with dear old dad. I barely remember her." Which wasn't true. He remembered her a great deal. Maybe not specific things they did, but he frequently thought about how safe and loved she had made him feel as a child. But then she died, and he'd never felt that way since. Never even close.

Loki was quiet then, and Tony followed suit. The air between them had gotten serious, but not in the way Tony had wanted it. He needed to fix it. Taking in another deep breath, steeling his resolve, Tony held his hand out to Loki. He wondered if the other man would know the implications that came with it. Would Loki know that Tony was essentially telling him that he was his for the taking? That all Loki had to do was reach for him, and he'd gladly give himself over. Without hesitation Loki did reach out, and he wrapped his long fingers around Tony's rough ones and held tight. Tony's heart raced. From anticipation? Nerves? Flat out fear? He didn't even know.

"Loki, I don't want to talk about that shit anymore." Tony said, decidedly less eloquently than he had been shooting for.

Loki laughed lightly. "What kind of shit would you like to talk about then?"

"About us." And just like that, it was out. Like ripping off a bandaid, right?

Loki turned to look at Tony, an appropriate level of seriousness in his expression. "What about us?" he asked.

Tony took a deep breath, and ran his free hand through his hair, disheveling it slightly. "Well," he managed to get out. Shit. This was harder than he thought it was going to be, and he had already been expecting the worst. Where was his wit? His cleverness? His way with words? He had always relied on them to get him out of any situation, and he'd never been let down before. Why now? He felt the wind pick up, and it seemed like it carried his intelligence off into the night sky with it.

Cursing himself and his inability to speak coherently, Tony dropped Loki's hand and held onto the balcony railing, head down, looking at his feet. He wanted to scream, he was so frustrated with himself.

"Anthony..." he heard Loki say softly. He looked up, expecting to see the other man looking at him with another amused expression, or maybe a confused one. What he wasn't expecting was Loki right there, close enough to smell the scotch on his breath. Then Loki kissed him. Tony could taste the scotch, and underneath it, Loki, and he was thinking it was the best thing he'd ever tasted. Loki's hands reached up to cup his face and Tony poured everything he felt but hadn't been able to say into that kiss. Loki answered back, his tongue saying the same things, and Tony felt like he was falling and flying away at the same time.

They broke apart only when the need to breathe became a necessity rather than something they preferred to put off in favor of kissing. Neither wanted to move too far apart though, so they rested their foreheads together and tried to catch their breaths.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that." Loki finally said, his voice a breathless whisper.

Tony pulled away to grin up at the taller man. "Oh yeah? How long?"

"Since the night we met," admitted Loki, running his hand along Tony's cheek. Tony closed his eyes and hummed, pressing his face against the warm hand. He reached up and grabbed Loki's hand and pulled it down, needing more answers.

"Why didn't you?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"You weren't ready," was the simple answer.

"How did you know?" was all Tony could think to say. How had this man been able to read him so well?

Loki cocked his head to the side and regarded him with a small smile, as if he were seeing something especially cute. "I just could. I know you, Anthony. Better than you think I do."

"If you know me so well," Tony taunted, "what am I thinking of right now?"

At that Loki laughed, loud and freely. "Anyone with a powerful enough telescope and a window above this level could tell what you're thinking of right now." And he glanced down to the rather prominent evidence in Tony's pants. Tony opened his mouth to protest, but Loki swallowed it with another kiss, pressing his body against his and allowing Tony to feel that he was thinking the same thing.

Arousal clouded Tony's mind, making him feel dizzy. Suddenly, he didn't like it. It reminded him of every other sleazy encounter he'd had. Shame flooded in, and he broke the kiss and stepped back away from Loki.

"What is it, Anthony?" the other man asked, concerned and confused.

"I.." Tony faltered once again, unsure how to express himself. He mentally kicked himself in the ass and decided to hell with it, he'd just go with honesty. "I'm scared."

"I know, Anthony. I am, too."

"You're scared I'm going to fuck this all up too?" Tony was only half-joking.

"Yes." Loki answered, earning a sour look from Tony. "But that's only part of it. There's lots more to fear."

Tony was tired of standing, so he indicated to Loki that they go and sit on the chaise lounge chairs. Before he sat, Tony shoved the center table out from between the two chairs, and pushed the seats so they were touching. He didn't want that much distance between them. Maybe not ever again. Loki watched, puzzled at first as the furniture was shoved all over, but quickly realizing what Tony had in mind. After Tony stretched his legs out and laid back, Loki crawled onto the next lounge and curled up on his side, facing Tony.

"What else do you fear?" Tony asked, rolling to face him and reaching a hand out to Loki's black hair. He ran it through his fingers as he brushed it back from his face. It was an intimate gesture, but it felt right to Tony to do it. Loki closed his eyes, enjoying the touch. He didn't answer the question until Tony dropped his hand away.

"So many things, Anthony. There's so many what-ifs that could happen. What if I lose my job and have to move back home? What if my family doesn't approve of you? What if you discover you really can't stand me? What if you grow tired of me?"

"What is this? Loki Laufeyson has insecurities? I've never known you to be anything less than 100% sure of yourself." Tony had always thought of Loki as having everything put together. He exuded self confidence like it came out of his pores. Tony supposed he did too, but his was an act. A skill that he'd spent years perfecting. But it always felt like a paper thin mask, one that he lived in constant fear of tearing and exposing the real him that lay, trembling and frightened, underneath. No one had seen that part of him, not since his mother died.

"It's a defense mechanism. A mask. Nothing more." Loki was pulling the words right from Tony's own head, it seemed. "I was forced to develop it, in order to survive at all in my family. Growing up in my brother's shadow, with my father's disapproval, it would have eroded me down to nothing if I hadn't been this way. I could never let them see how they got to me. I guess it's a hard habit to break."

Tony understood that. He really did. But it still bothered him. "Do you think I'll do the same thing? Wear you down into nothing?"

"Oh Anthony," Loki brought his hand up to run it along the edge of Tony's jaw. "I learned a long time ago not to let people affect me that much. Once I was able to stop them from doing it, I vowed never to let anyone get that close."

Tony bristled at that, and tried to pull away from Loki's touch. But Loki moved his hand to the back of his neck, and held him there, looking directly into his eyes. "You are already that close. Don't you see? You are the first person I've ever trusted enough to let in. It terrifies me, the power you have over me." He dropped his hand. It wasn't necessary anymore, Tony wasn't going anywhere. Loki tipped his head down and added softly, so softly Tony could barely hear it, "You could destroy me."

Those words rocked Tony to his core. They overwhelmed him. Loki had just given him this gift, and Tony had no idea if he was capable of taking care of it. He was way more skilled at breaking hearts than he was at nurturing them. Tony rolled onto his back, resting his head on his hands and looked up at the sky, trying to get stop his thoughts from spinning so fast. Loki moved and curled up against his side, resting his head on Tony's stomach and wrapping an arm around his waist, holding tight. Tony smiled as he looked down at the mess of black hair spread out over his chest. He reached a hand down to comb his fingers through the silky strands, finding comfort in the motion.

For all his smarts, every bit of knowledge he carried in his head, Tony had no words to put together to tell Loki what was going on inside him at that moment. He knew, without a doubt, that this man had the same power over him. And that terrified him as much as it did Loki. But he didn't know how to tell him, so he just let his fingers do the talking, running them along Loki's scalp, soothing them both.

After a while, Tony felt the silence beginning to suffocate him. He needed to say something. Anything. "I've never done this before." is what he came up with. Better than nothing, Tony surmised.

"And you think I have?" Came the response.

Tony wasn't even sure what exactly he'd been referring to when he said that, so he went with what was in his head. "You've never had a relationship before?"

"Never a real long-term relationship." Loki admitted. "I dated a girl for about eight months in high school, but only because I was trying to deny what I really wanted. I held onto that relationship for way too long, because I was terrified to admit to myself that I didn't want her."

"Did it turn out bad, when you did admit it?" Tony inquired. He didn't particularly want to hear about Loki's past love life, but was just glad to be talking again.

"Not with the girl. She had known for a while. Even after, she was still a good friend. But it was bad with my father." Loki sighed and began to play with the hem of Tony's shirt.

That was one thing Tony didn't have to worry about anymore. He'd done his time as a disappointing son, and would never have to come out of the closet to his father. Maybe he should count his blessings.

"Your father should have had a chance to get together with mine. They'd have enjoyed swapping stories about what fuck-ups their sons turned out to be."

Loki sat up and leaned over to look at Tony, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Who are you calling a fuck-up?" he quipped.

Tony took advantage of their position and reached up to pull the other's mouth to his. He moaned when he felt Loki relax, his entire body pressing into his. The hand Loki wasn't laying on found it's way under Tony's shirt, and Tony's hands were entwined in Loki's hair, gripping and pulling him even deeper into the kiss. Gone were all thoughts of his past and his parents and there was nothing in his head now except for Loki's tongue. That and a nagging desire to move this into the bedroom. To do that though, they'd have to stop, and Tony definitely did not want to entertain that idea at all.

In this instance, Loki proved to be the more practical of the pair. He pulled away from Tony's mouth, which immediately formed into a pout. A pout that made Loki chuckle. He reached up and stroked that lower lip with his thumb until Tony couldn't help but smile. "That's better." Loki said, returning the grin. "Can we go back inside now?"

"What, you want to watch the movie now? What'd you bring? Breakfast Club? Pretty in Pink? Not Journey of Natty Gann again." Tony teased.

Loki rolled his eyes, trying, but failing, to hold back his amusement. "Hey, that was a good movie! You liked it. Actually, I brought one we've never watched together before, but I thought you would especially appreciate. It's called Real Genius."

"They made a movie about me back in the 80's?" Tony exclaimed with mock surprise.

Loki groaned, and moved to stand up. "You are insufferable, you know that?" But he held out his hand anyway, to help Tony up. He may have had ulterior motives for helping him stand though, because no sooner as Tony was on his feet, than his hand was used to pull him into a tight embrace. Loki's arms encircled him, and Tony's cheek rested on his chest. Wrapped up in this hug, knowing that the heart he felt pounding under his head beat, at least partly, for him, it made Tony felt safer and more cherished than he had been in a long time. Not since his mother had held him close.

Tony often felt like he had a gaping hole where his heart should have been. It had been left there when his mother died, and his father had never bothered to try and fill it. He'd lived with the emptiness for so long, it seemed like it became a part of him. Most of the time, he found stuff to cover the hole up. Alcohol, women, sometimes men. But nothing had ever filled it in. Nothing had ever healed him. And there were times, when he was feeling particularly low, Tony feared the emptiness might just kill him.

This was just a simple hug. But somehow it was so much more than that. Tony stood there, smelling Loki's cologne, or maybe it was aftershave. Or maybe it was just Loki. Whatever it was, it smelled wonderful, and Tony stood there breathing it in, remembering Loki's words, and feeling that hole in his chest begin to fill up. Then fingers threaded their way through the hair on the back of his head, making him purr a little. He felt the chest under his cheek rumble with quiet laughter made loud because his ear was pressed against it. Then the fingers gripped his hair and pulled it back, gently but insistently. The taller man wasted no time in leaning in and attacking Tony's mouth once more. When Loki moved to his neck, sucking and biting as he went, Tony felt his knees go weak. He grabbed hold of Loki's shirt to try and steady himself.

"Having troubles, darling?" Loki chuckled against his neck, his breath making him shiver.

"I...uh, I think we should skip the movie. What do you think?" Tony quipped, frankly shocked that his brain worked enough to come up with the words at all.

Loki straightened up and looked at him. "But I was looking forward to the popcorn" he pouted. Damn, that is a cute pout, Tony thought and then he kissed it, taking advantage of that lower lip sticking out by biting it.

"Okay," he said after he'd finished with Loki's mouth once more. "If you insist. Let's go watch the movie." He turned, grabbed the glasses and walked inside. He heard Loki padding along behind him, and wasn't surprised at all that once he had set the glasses down, he found himself being spun around and pressed up against the counter. There was a salacious glint in Loki's blue eyes that went straight to Tony's cock and made it twitch. Loki put his hands on the counter, on either side of Tony, and pressed his whole body into his. One hand moved up to Tony's hair and pulled his head back, exposing his neck and Tony was effectively trapped. Not that you could have paid him to move from that spot. Leaning down and ghosting kisses along Tony's jaw, Loki whispered, "I lied. I didn't even bring a movie."

Tony groaned at the lips along his neck and at implications laced in that confession. He ran his hands along the hem of Loki's shirt and then slid underneath to feel the warm skin there. Loki began to nuzzle his nose into his neck, which felt amazing, but tickled too, and Tony had to dig his fingernails into Loki's back to stop from giggling. That got him a nip, on the sensitive skin just below his ear, and Tony couldn't hold in the yelp. Loki chuckled, then brought his lips back to Tony's. Though Tony was no stranger to kissing, this felt wholly unique to him. In the past, Tony had always been the one in control. He'd always been the one who was giving his partner what they wanted, because they always wanted it more. This time, he was the needy one, happily taking whatever Loki would give him, which gave Loki the control. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not, but then Loki ground his hips against Tony's and Tony decided he didn't care one bit. He was powerless, he knew it and he didn't doubt Loki knew it as well.

"If you keep that up, we're never going to make it to the bedroom," Tony managed to get out as they broke apart for air.

"Oh, is that where we're headed?" Loki asked, feigning an innocent look. "Are you getting sleepy, Anthony?"

"No, we're not going to sleep," Tony rolled his eyes and grabbed Loki's hand, pulling them out of the kitchen. "Come on."

As they walked down the hall, their bare feet silent on the plush carpet, Tony's bedroom door loomed ominously. It seemed to mock him, reminding him of the others who had gone through those doors. Though he hadn't brought anyone home since they'd met, if Tony could go back in time and save himself for Loki, he would have. In a heartbeat. He let go of Loki's hand, though he knew the other would continue to follow him. However, Loki stopped just inside the door, while Tony walked into the middle of the room. It was dark, no lights on except the computerized panels on the wall and the ambient light coming in through the windows.

When he realized Loki hadn't come all the way into the room, he turned and saw him leaning against the wall. Tony could see him watching him with his head cocked and a puzzled look on his face. Rather than say anything, Tony just held his hand out, holding his breath against the possibility that Loki might not come. But he did. Of course he did. And once the man's tall frame was pressed up against him once more, Tony let out a small sigh of relief. He leaned his forehead into Loki's chest, and just stood for a little while, his hands on Loki's lean hips.

"You okay?" Loki asked, quietly.

"Do you want this?" Insecurity struck him fast and hard and knocked the wind out of his sails. He couldn't bear to look up. "Do you want me?"

"You know that I do, Anthony." his answer was cautious, guarded, as if he didn't know where the questions were coming from. Or maybe he didn't understand what exactly Tony was asking.

"No, I mean, do you want us. Do you want to be with me?"

"I knew it from the start." Loki pulled Tony's face up, so he could look at those brown eyes, even in the low light. "I want to be with you. There's no one else for me, Anthony."

Tony loved the touch of Loki's hand on his chin, but he hated the intimacy of the eye contact right then. He pulled his chin and his eyes away. He was comforted, immensely relieved, that Loki wanted a relationship, same as he did. But would it work?

"Loki, I'm an asshole. I don't know how to be a decent guy to anyone but myself. I certainly don't know how to love someone. I've been shit to every single person who I was supposed to care about, and I've been shit on by every one who was supposed to care about me." Tony felt tears prick his eyes, but he was not about to let that happen. He took a few steps away from Loki, needing the distance to help keep himself in check.

"Except me," said Loki softly. "I care about you Tony. And I've seen that you're not an asshole. Well, you can be sometimes, I'll give you that much. But you're also generous and kind. You do amazing things with the privileges you've been afforded in your life. Your charity work, the technological advances you've made. It's astounding, the good you've done with your life."

Tony didn't say anything. He couldn't. If he let words out, the tears would come with them, so he held everything back. Loki took advantage of this rare silence from the man who always had something to say.

"I know you are afraid you'll screw things up with us. I'm afraid too, of either one of us screwing it up. We're both plenty capable, trust me. We both have issues that we need to deal with if we move forward. But we can do it together. Would you rather continue on as we have been, just being friends?"

Tony shook his head quickly. No, he didn't want that. It had been killing him for a while, not to be able to touch Loki, to wrap him into a hug when he looked sad, or kiss him when he smiled.

"Do you want me to leave and never come back?"

Tony's eyes shot to Loki's at that, a few drops escaping down his cheeks. "No!" he said, forcefully because that was the last thing in the world he wanted. It would break him.

"Then what choice do we have, but to try this?"

"But why would you want me?" Tony was used to people wanting him. Women, men, they all threw themselves at his feet. But they didn't want him. They wanted Tony Stark. It was his money that they wanted. His notoriety. Loki didn't care about any of that, Tony knew, but what was he underneath it? Was he worth anything at all? "My mother left me, my dad couldn't be bothered with me. What if I have nothing to offer you?"

Loki's answer was spoken bitterly. "My real parents abandoned me, and my adoptive parents wish they could now that they've seen how I turned out. What makes you think I have anything more to bring to this than you do?"

To that, Tony had no real answer. Loki was the one who brought everything to this. He was the only one worth anything between the two of them. Why couldn't he get those words out?

"What about you?" Loki asked quietly, sounding more than a little unsure himself.

"Me?"

"Do you want this? Us?"

"You're asking me this now?" Tony wanted to laugh.

"You haven't actually said." pointed out Loki.

Tony opened his mouth to retort, but closed it when he realized Loki was right. He looked over to the other man standing there, looking every bit as vulnerable and scared as Tony felt and he hated it. "I do, Loki. I want you. I want us. That's why I invited you here tonight, to tell you. You're the most genuine person I've ever met. You don't care about my money, or my vices. You know exactly who you are, you do exactly what you want, and you never apologize for it." Tony paused, trying to read the other's expression, but failing. "I don't deserve you, I know that. But I'm a greedy bastard. I want you anyway."

"I do what I want, huh?" Loki mused, his unreadable expression turning into a smirk. He closed the distance between the two of them with two graceful strides. "What I want, is to find something else for your mouth to do..." Loki pressed a chaste kiss to it then. "...to keep it from talking."

"Yeah, I'm sure-" Tony's retort was cut off by Loki finding his mouth something else to do. The flick of his tongue against Tony's lips reignited his passion and drove all the other lingering thoughts from his mind. He was tired of the roller coaster he'd created out of their evening so far. And this, this right here, kissing Loki deeply, roaming his hands over that gorgeous body and feeling the same touch on his own, was exactly where Tony had hoped the night would end up. He'd been torturing himself for weeks now, imagining being here with Loki, with nothing but time and the promise of the bed just over there. So he was going to shut the hell up and just enjoy the moment.

And enjoy it he did. His skin burned in the trails of Loki's skilled fingers as he ran them over his back, fingers digging in whenever Tony ground his hips into the other's. His heart raced as Loki sucked and bit at his neck hard enough to leave marks, and Tony knew he'd be smiling every time he looked in a mirror for the next few days. And he very nearly came undone when Loki palmed his erection through his pants and whispered in his ear,"I'm yours, Anthony. Take me."

Tony guided Loki back toward the bed, still kissing, and fumbling with the buttons of his pants as they moved. He felt Loki pulling at his shirt and he stepped back to strip if off, watching appreciatively as Loki did the same. He ran his fingers over that pale skin, looking up at Loki and biting his lip as he ran his thumbs over his nipples, loving the gasp it elicited. He returned his attention to Loki's pants, which were now unbuttoned, and began to push them down. Tony pulled his cock free, then stopped to grasp it in his hand, stepping up to swallow Loki's resulting moan with his mouth. He kissed him deep, swirling their tongues together, and pumping his shaft in his hand until Loki started whimpering.

It was Loki's turn to pluck at Tony's pants, but Tony was much too eager to wait for him and swatted at his hands away.

"Tsk, tsk," Loki sounded, shaking his head and giving Tony an evilly seductive grin. Before Tony could utter a word, Loki dropped to his knees, slowly, keeping those mischievous eyes locked on Tony the whole way down. "Allow me," he purred and damn if Tony didn't see any problem with that anymore.

Loki pulled open his pants with deft fingers, and slid them down, all the way down to Tony's ankles. Tony made a sound, as Loki took him inside his mouth, that had he been at all coherent, he may have been embarrassed by. But cool hands wrapped around the base of his cock and Loki's mouth was hot, so hot and Tony couldn't think about anything but the pleasure and the need to not fall over. Oh, Loki was skilled. Tony would probably stop to consider that later, but for now he was just enjoying how Loki massaged his balls and every once in a while he'd hollow out his cheeks and create the most glorious suction. He took Tony in deep into his throat, his hands roaming all over Tony's sides and butt and stomach. Tony tried to refrain from thrusting his hips into Loki's mouth, but found he couldn't help himself. Threading his fingers into that black hair, he held tight, not wanting to control him, but feeling like he needed to hold onto something.

It felt good. No, that wasn't enough. It was god damned ecstasy, and Tony didn't want to come like this. With a gentle tug to Loki's hair, Tony urged him to stop. Loki seemed to understand, and a small whine escaped Tony's lips as Loki looked up at him through his lashes and let his cock slide out from between his swollen lips.

"So fucking hot," Tony whispered, looking down in awe of just how sexy this man was. Loki's face broke into a devilish grin at that. His blue eyes glinted in the dim light and to Tony, it was like he dripped desire from every pore in his body. Tony didn't know how he got so lucky as to be the man on the receiving end of that. He pulled Loki up to standing, and kissed him hard, tasting a bit of himself in Loki's mouth, but not caring.

Finally Tony decided they'd had enough of standing and he pushed gently on Loki's chest, who allowed himself to fall back onto the bed. After pulling his pants off the rest of the way, Loki scooted himself back so he was laying on the pillows. Tony wasted no time in taking his own pants the rest of the way off. He crawled, naked, over to Loki and laid next to him, propped up on one elbow, so he was looking down into his eyes. Blue eyes that looked back to his brown ones, full of wants and needs that Tony was more than happy to oblige. He made quick work of retrieving the lube from his nightstand drawer, wetting his fingers with it, and pushing two of them, slick, into Loki's tight entrance. It was entrancing, watching how Loki reacted. The way he arched his back, pushing his ass against Tony's hand, begging him with his body to go deeper. The graceful curve of his neck as he bent his head back with a moan as Tony added another finger, moving slowly. Tony watched rapt, at the the way Loki spread his legs, so subtly he probably wasn't even aware he was doing it, a little more each time Tony pushed in.

Tony curled his fingers up to brush against Loki's prostate, causing him to cry out "Tony!" and the fact that he'd said Tony instead of Anthony spoke volumes to him. Suddenly he couldn't wait to be inside him. He needed it, like he needed air. And as he finally, after all the time he'd spent wanting it, thinking about it, he pushed into that tight heat and very nearly came right then and there for how intense it felt. He went slow, giving Loki time to adjust, and as Tony looked down at the gorgeous man laying bare and vulnerable underneath him, he knew he'd never again want to be in that bed alone. That he'd never want to do anything again without this man by his side. Loki looked up at him with such trust, and such want it made his heart ache that he had waited so long for this. Finally Tony could hold still no longer, and he picked up the pace quickly, hearing Loki's breathing accelerating as his thrusts did. The man writhed underneath him, wantonly, making the most glorious sounds Tony had ever heard. It was as if Loki was made of pure sin, and it ignited the dark, carnal parts of Tony's brain so completely that he couldn't help but slam his cock into him with reckless abandon. And Loki encouraged every bit of it, wrapping his legs around Tony's waist, and raking fingernails down his back and every time he cried out, it was "Tony" that escaped his lips.

Lost completely in the haze of lust and pleasure, Tony straightened up and pulled one of Loki's legs up over his shoulder, giving him a deeper angle, one that allowed him to hit that sweet spot inside Loki that made him shout. No one had ever accused Tony of not enjoying the sound of his own name, but this was something else. This meant that Loki was so completely affected by this that he was no longer in control of himself. He'd given himself over to Tony so completely, it staggered him and he knew he wasn't going to last much longer. He reached down and gripped Loki's hardness, stroking him hard and fast and it didn't take more than a few pulls for Loki to spill his seed across his stomach as he came with a silent scream. Tony tried to concentrate, wanting to take in the glorious sight of Loki coming around him, but the muscles in his ass clenched and it wrenched his orgasm from him. He thrust in one final time and released himself deep within Loki's body, his fingers bruising Loki's hips as he gripped them tightly. When the last of the tremors passed through him, he dropped down to his elbows, resting his head on Loki's heaving chest. He felt arms reach around him and pull him closer, and he gladly allowed himself to lay his body down. Loki gave a slight sound of displeasure when Tony softening cock slipped from his body, Tony regretting it too, already missing their connection.

He gave Loki a deep kiss, and then moved to lay down beside him. They lay there for a few minutes, neither saying anything, neither moving other than trying to slow their breathing. He didn't know about Loki, but Tony was having a bit of trouble getting his brain to function again. When it did enough for him to realize Loki was left with a mess, he got up and went to his washroom to get a towel.

"So considerate, Anthony," Loki smirked when Tony returned with the towel. Seeing him laying out on his bed, beautifully and unashamedly naked, Tony felt a stirring in his groin again. Too soon, he told himself. Down boy!

"We're back to Anthony, are we?" he asked with a knowing smile, as sat down and wiped the warm cloth over Loki's belly. Loki flushed, but then closed his eyes and laid his head back, humming with pleasure as Tony took care of him. Tony finished up, and tossed the washcloth over to the hamper near the bathroom. He took hold of the blanket Loki was laying on and pulled, and Loki moved to allow Tony to pull it down. Loki lay back against the pillows and opened his arms wide. Tony couldn't think of a place he'd rather be than there in those arms, so he climbed into them and pulled the covers over them both. Snuggled up against Loki's chest, their legs entwined under the blankets, and Loki's fingers tracing lazy circles on his back, Tony sighed with pure contentment.

"Call your mom, can you bunk over?" he joked. A rumble of laughter ran through the body under his head.

"I'd like to see you try and kick me out." Loki said, and Tony could hear the smile in his words.

"Do you have work tomorrow?" Tony asked.

"No, I'm off tomorrow. You have something planned?"

Tony didn't have anything planned. If there was something on his schedule, he'd call Pepper in the morning and have her cancel. He wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of every day with Loki, starting with tomorrow. "Nope, let's just do this all day."

For the first time in his life, Tony was completely and thoroughly sated. It made him very sleepy. Normally he'd jump at the chance to sleep, but he no longer needed his dreams in order to hold Loki close. Actually feeling that warm body against his own was way better anyway. But he couldn't deny the weariness in his bones, the emotional breakthroughs and the mind-blowing orgasm had worn him out. He lay there, feeling himself being lulled to sleep by the steady rise and fall of Loki's chest as his fingers stroked the small tuft of hair that grew there.

"I'm trying so hard not to fall asleep," admitted Tony.

"So sleep," Loki commanded softly.

"Don wanna" Tony answered in a mumble.

Loki hugged him tight in his arms for a few seconds, and bent to kiss the top of his head. "It's okay, Anthony, you can sleep."

"But you're better like this than when I dream about you." came Tony's half-unconscious reply. If he'd been even a little more awake, he may have been embarrassed at that admission. Tony didn't even notice the grin that spread across Loki's face and stayed there for a long time, long after they'd both fallen asleep.

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**The end! I may continue it at some point, after I get more done on my other stories. If it gets good feedback, that would encourage me...just sayin' REVIEWS ARE LOVE!**


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